Harvey Mason to Grads: 'Go Out and Make Some Noise!'
The commencement concert lead singers take final bows after their May 8 performance at Agganis Arena.
Kelly Davidson
President Roger Brown presented the 2015 honorees (FROM THE LEFT) Dee Dee Bridgewater, Julio Iglesias, Doug Morris, (Brown), and Harvey Mason with honorary doctorates on May 9.
Michael D. Spencer
Yusuke Sato and Patrick Unruh trade licks in Brownsville Station’s “Smokin’ in the Boy’s Room.”
Kelly Davidson
Dee Dee Bridgewater acknowledges applause during her introduction to the concert attendees.
Vocalist Nadia Chechet sings the Julio Iglesias French-language ballad “Je Na’i Pas Change.”
Kelly Davidson
Marianella Rojas hits a high note in “Aqua Dulce, Aqua Sala” by Julio Iglesias.
Kelly Davidson
Honoree Doug Morris is introduced to concert goers.
Kelly Davidson
Saxophonist Edmar Colon, and percussionist Anne Santos share the spotlight on Harvey Mason’s “Building Love.”
On May 9, 860 graduates and the four honorees received degrees and diplomas before an estimated audience of 7,000 at Agganis Arena.
Dave Green
“When someone tells you no, step around, go to the next door,” said Dee Dee Bridgewater. “There is a door that will open.”
Dave Green
Spring was finally in the air in Boston on May 8 and 9, when 860 graduates, their family members, and friends came to celebrate at Berklee’s commencement exercises. On hand for the festivities at Boston University’s Agganis Arena were this year’s honorees jazz singer Dee Dee Bridgewater, Latin music superstar Julio Iglesias, jazz and studio drummer Harvey Mason, and Sony Music Entertainment CEO Doug Morris.
Friday night kicked off with the traditional tribute concert feting the honorees. The range of music these people have brought to the world made for a stylistically diverse program. The opener was the funky dance tune “Groovin’ You” from Harvey Mason’s catalog. It was the first of five songs on the program that Mason had performed and/or cowritten. Others included “Captain Fingers,” the title track from guitarist Lee Ritenour’s 1977 album; “Building Love” from Mason’s Marching in the Street album; and two by Herbie Hancock—including the hit jam tune “Chameleon,” which Mason cowrote. Standout instrumentalists included guitarist Nick Veinoglou, tenor saxophonist Edmar Colon, and percussionist Anne Santos, who reappeared throughout the concert. Colon and Santos shared the spotlight for a sax and conga duel on “Building Love.”
Doug Morris was celebrated with a rendition of “Sweet Talkin’ Guy,” a song he penned in 1966 for the Chiffons that was sung by Melaner Quiroz. From the catalogs of artists whose careers Morris boosted as a label executive came such songs as “Let My Love Open the Door” (Pete Townsend) sung as a duet by Simone Torres and Rob Wulfsohn; and Dion’s poignant “Abraham, Martin, and John,” sung by Callie Huber and Jason Sibi-Okumu. Among the other titles were England Dan and John Ford Coley’s “I’d Really Love to See You Tonight” and Tom Petty’s “Stop Draggin’ My Heart Around,” and “Smokin’ in the Boy’s Room,” which Morris produced for Brownsville Station in 1973.
From Dee Dee Bridgewater’s catalog was the guitar/vocal duet “For Ella” sung by Briana Williams backed by Veinoglou’s fluid chording. Also heard were “Song for My Father” and “Lady Sings the Blues,” featuring big-band backing for vocalist Gabriela Francesca. In honoring Julio Iglesias, Berklee’s Yo Team production staff reached back to the singer’s first song, “La Vida Sigue Igual,” sung at the concert by Marina Serafim Maiztegui. Iglesias, who made The Guinness Book of World Records as the artist having the most hit songs in the most languages, was treated to a medley of his hits sung in Spanish, Italian, and French. Christian Yaipen and Angelo Chacon sang his big English language hit with Willy Nelson, “To All the Girls I’ve Loved Before.”
The concert came to a close with a handful of selections from Motown: The Musical, for which Morris was the coproducer. In the spotlight were vocalists Christopher Scott, Jscot Martin, Chauncey Matthews, Christine Smit, and Bryson Camper. All of the 32 vocalists and many of the 56 instrumentalists were on stage for the final number, Stevie Wonder’s “My Love,” after the show’s conclusion, taking bows to thunderous applause.
The following morning, the graduates and some 7,000 guests filed into Agganis Arena. Opening the ceremony was Larry Simpson, Berklee’s vice president for academic affairs and provost, who acknowledged the diversity of the class comprising graduates from 62 countries and from throughout the United States. Among the 860, the oldest graduate is 54, and the youngest 19. Women represented 29 percent of the class.
As the commencement’s keynote speaker, Dee Dee Bridgewater identified with the graduates as fellow dreamers. “You are all here because you dared to dream,” she said. “Everything happened [for me] because I dared to dream. Stay honest in your dreams, and do not accept no. When someone tells you no, step around, go to the next door. There is a door that will open. And once your first dreams are realized, start some more. Your goal in life should be to dream until the day you die.”
Watch Bridgewater's address and other highlights from commencement 2015:
After accepting their honorary doctorates from president Roger H. Brown, the honorees shared a few thoughts. “Through the years you will be able to bring people together [with your music],” said Julio Iglesias. “There is nothing more beautiful in life than bringing people together.” Giving the perspective of a label executive, Doug Morris stated, “What’s changing [in our industry] is how we distribute and sell music. But there would be nothing to distribute or sell if we didn’t have brilliant people creating what people love.”
Mason, a 1968 alumnus, said, “The Berklee experience helped me to become my own man. Being in this environment was stimulating beyond words. Now, as all of you go out into the world, I urge you to search your heart and soul, and proceed with passion. Go out and make some great music. Go out and make some noise!”
